UPS has announced today that it is working with QIAGEN, a leading global provider of molecular diagnostics and sample preparation technologies, to deliver nucleic acid extraction kits critical to COVID-19 testing, as well as its novel QIAstat-Dx Coronavirus testing cartridges to destinations around the world. With governments and public authorities classifying UPS as an essential service provider, the company is combining the flexibility of its global network with QIAGEN’s increased production capacity for COVID-19 testing kits produced at their facility in Hilden, Germany to help healthcare workers curb the spread of the disease.
“Customers and governments around the world are turning to the reliability of UPS’s smart global logistics network to help fight this pandemic,” said Lou Rivieccio, president, UPS Europe. “Business continuity has never been more important for our customers and that is what we continue to deliver whether it be for delivery or storage of medicines, testing kits or medical supplies. And when it comes to ensuring that increased production volumes of testing kits reach vital destinations around the world such as hospitals and labs, our teams are here to help customers navigate complexity and focus on fighting this pandemic. Agility, flexibility and fast response in the supply chain arena are helping to combat this outbreak as it shifts from Asia to Europe and North America.”
Europe
In Europe, UPS has recently invested $2 billion in its network and services. This investment has allowed the company to implement dynamic contingency plans that can adapt to the rapidly changing business environment. Despite recent border closures, UPS is continuing to serve the needs of its customers. Through its European air hub at Cologne-Bonn Airport, the company is able to ensure swift and efficient transportation of essential shipments in Europe and to destinations around the world.
“We have and continue to increase our production of reagents and COVID-19 testing kits to meet the current extraordinary demand for our products worldwide. Our supply chains, both to our production facilities as well as to our customers in laboratories and hospitals are crucial at this time,” said Barthold Piening, senior vice president, head of Global Operations at QIAGEN. “Just as our teams at QIAGEN are working 24/7 to ensure production we know we can rely upon UPS as our logistics partner to make sure these kits and components arrive on time and in the right condition to where they’re needed most. We share our ambition with UPS, with its flexible global network, to make our solutions as widely available as possible.”
To support the global relief effort in response to the novel Coronavirus, the UPS Foundation announced new grant allocations to United Nations agencies, humanitarian relief partners and international non-government organizations. In the United States, UPS is supporting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with ‘Project Airbridge’, a co-ordinated effort to expedite the arrival of critical supplies needed in US hospitals.
